A Somber Mood descends......
Started the day early, I went out alone to the Lao PDR embassy at the Mao Tse Tung Road (Ganda is still sleeping). Thank God for ASEAN bilateral agreements, Philippine passport holders are now exempted from getting a tourist visa! It means a $35-40 (if you want to have it within the day you will have to pay for the “speedy processing”) savings which can be spent at the Russian Market or at the Spa.
Had breakfast at Flavour Restaurant, nice alfresco ambiance pero hindi sila marunong gumawa ng ‘fluffy and soft’ pancakes ala McDo, ang tigas nung binigay nila sa akin! I don’t know yet how to go to Choeung Ek but we’ll just take a tuktuk for the whole trip to save on the hussle and patience (eventually we settled for $8 for the whole trip and to be dropped off at Toul Sleng on the way back).
The Killing Fields at Choeung Ek
It was a hot, dusty 35 minutes tuktuk ride, about 15 kms southwest of Phnom Penh. With a somber face, we walked through the whole complex. Dominating the place is the large stupa where you can say prayers for the interned skulls carefully placed on a glass display in the center. Nag taasan ang balahibo namin while looking at the thousands of skulls on display. I’ve read about Pol Pot and what his regime did --- killed almost 2 million Cambodians, totally wiping out its educated masses (anyone suspected of being educated will be immediately executed or sent to the labor farms) when I was in college pero you can never be prepared for what you can see at Choeung Ek. 
Around the complex, it is dotted with huge potholes. These were once used as graveyards for the masses of executed Cambodians (at least 300 persons are killed EVERY DAY!). As in tinatambak lang nila dito and then they put chemicals over them to take away the stench and to make sure that those who were still alive will die from the chemicals. Reading through all the marks and notices, I became more subdued and silent, just recreating in my thoughts the horror they must have gone through. 
We passed through the Killing Tree, named as such because this is where small kids are thrown or bashed against the trunk (their form of execution). Next is the Magic Tree, where they hang the prisoners in its various branches. Then they would play loudspeakers to drown the cries and moans.
I want to throw up….its nauseating, it’s so dark. I cannot believe individuals can do this to their neighbor, their friend, their family. What is their fault? They went to school or maybe they are wearing spectacles?
I bought some books on the genocide as I realized I need to know more, I have to educate myself more about this part of Asian political history or maybe I am just looking for answers as to, Why????
I need to be able to come to terms with this part of my history as an Asian. Someone who looks like the Cambodians who were executed or the Khmer Rouge who murdered all these people. We look the same. Similar traditions, similar environments…. How can this happen to them?
The ride back was certainly quiet. Each of us is lost in our own morbid thoughts.
S-21 (Security Facility #21)
Next stop was the Tuol Sleng Museum (or famously called the S-21 prison). It was formerly a high school and was later converted by the Khmer Rouge army into an interrogation and prison facility within the city proper. Men, women, children and even some foreigners were tortured in this prison and were later transported to the Cheoung Ek “Killing Fields” to be executed, out of the estimated 17,000 people interred at Cheoung Ek only 7 survived. There are other “killing fields” scattered around the country at that time.
This is where prisoners are hanged while still at S-21. And below are the cells inside the rooms, they are very claustrophobically small.... sometimes they will be detained in one of these for months...
We got emotionally spent after looking at numerous pictures of executed prisoners at Tuol Sleng. Our last stop for the day is supposed to be the Wat Phnom. We had lunch at La Volpaia as it is just two blocks away from Wat Phnom, super laysho sya at pati presyo parang my whole day’s dining budget na sya! Since it was still too early, I had a foot spa (as in ang dumi na talaga ng paa ko!) while Ganda had a Thai massage at the Jasmine Spa.
Wat Phnom
We debated on whether to have an elephant ride around the hill grounds. I urged Ganda to ride kasi naman I’ve rode and posed on elephants in Sri Lanka and Thailand naman na before so its nothing new anymore pero ayaw din ni Ganda. So we went ahead to the temple on the hill --- the Wat Phnom. Ang init pa rin kahit its already almost 3pm. Kahit naka super spaghetti strap ako, tulo pa rin ang pawis ng lola!
Okay, we’re done with the whole day’s itinerary. Back to the hotel now kasi dadating si ZJ in 3 hours time.
As in nakakahiya, when ZJ came to the guesthouse to pick us up for dinner we were just scrambling and rushing around the room kasi nakatulog ako and we haven’t changed yet. They were so gracious about it and just said, its okay (note to self: kung ikaw yun, nang okray ka na! hehehe). Anyways, we went to Khmer Kitchen and guess what, naloka kami ni Ganda when CZ started talking to the waiters in Khmer – ay ang lola panalo sya! Iba na ‘Day ang talented.
To ZJ & Rob, thank you very much for the generosity and Bisaya hospitality (sila po ang nanglibre ng dinner --- as in inubos pa namin ni Ganda ang 6 dishes!). I hope to see you guys again, either here in Maldives or in Philippines (kita na lang ta lagi ug Cebu unsaon na lang!).
Our Favorite Watering Hole
Hmm…maaga pa ang gabi… so off we went to play billiards at Liquid Bar. Since it’s like a few steps away from the hotel we are staying in, the place is starting to get comfortable for me --- and I’m acquiring a taste for Angkor Beer draft!
While playing, we met Daniel (he is an Aussie but he works at a hotel & casino complex here in Phnom Penh) and later on he invited us over to their table. His officemates were there too. VP – Admin ang lolo pero he is very nice and entertained us with anecdotes about Filipino life and the times when he was in Subic, Makati, etc. Gerard (Malaysian national but connected with a Hongkong company) was even better. He was based in Subic before and his favorite actress is Sharon Cuneta and he sang “Minsan lang kitang Iibigin” at the bar! Naloka talaga ako sa katatawa! They were such fun. They left early coz Daniel has to go back to the office. When it was time to pay the bill, binayaran na nila! Salamat po!
Feeling ko na-shotay si Ganda kasi she kept on saying ang lakas daw ng tama ng Angkor Beer….
Tomorrow is our off day. The only item in our itinerary is --- shopping at the Russian Market.
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